Summary
- Far Cry has featured a number of animal companions in the past, including Timber and Boomer.
- Far Cry 7's story may involve rescuing a kidnapped family, giving it a good reason to include them again.
- The next game could reintroduce beloved canine companions, tying into the framework and providing a level of comfort and assistance throughout the experience.
Information about the next Far Cry title continues to be nearly nonexistent at present. Since the sixth mainline entry in 2021, Ubisoft hasn't revealed much of anything about what the next entry, presumably Far Cry 7, is shaping up to look like. With fans being kept in the dark regarding its future for now, speculation and rumors have dogged FC, and not all of them have gone over well, if indeed, these proposed changes to the franchise formula are happening.
Some information that has surfaced suggests Far Cry 7's story will center on a protagonist whose family has been kidnapped to a fictional island in the Yellow Sea. And as the series went on, it added to the lone hero's journey through dangerous and exotic locales by introducing an assortment of recruitable NPCs to accompany them and help take on the villain's forces. There is a particular breed of these, though, that is one of the most charming, and should see a return in the next game.
Another long-standing rumor points to Far Cry 7 having an in-game timer, which has proved quite contentious, though neither it nor the above have been officially confirmed or denied.
8 Best Animal Companions In The Far Cry Series, Ranked
Animals have been significant characters in the Far Cry series for several entries now, with the best of them making for loyal in-game companions.
No Matter Where it Goes, Far Cry 7 Should Feature Another Canine Companion
Far Cry's History With Faithful Hound Companions
Far Cry has previously featured a handful of furry friends that players can find and have follow on their heels during the adventure. These "Fangs for Hire" of the canine persuasion were:
- Boomer– Far Cry 5
- Timber– Far Cry New Dawn
- Chorizo– Far Cry 6
While in tow, players can have these pups retrieve resources, distract, and attack enemies. The Fangs for Hire are an endearing and welcome inclusion to Far Cry's other elements, adding a more comforting layer to the franchise's usual unforgiving settings and darker aspects while providing a little extra help along the way.
Far Cry Primal let fans tame prehistoric wolves, though that obviously was a bigger break from the standard, and is unlikely to be the case in the seventh title.
How Far Cry 7 Could Have More Best Boy Companions
If Far Cry 7's potential narrative does follow a protagonist whose family members have been taken hostage, having a dog accompany them in the framework of a rescue plot would provide a good way to thematically tie into this set-up. It might also make its main character more personable and relatable, as opposed to, for example, FC5's Junior Deputy. A companion of this nature could also come into play if Far Cry 7's alleged time-limit mechanic turns out to be real, perhaps by having these faithful companions affect gameplay more directly, such as being able to influence or slow the timer down in some way as part of their own abilities or upgrades.
If, instead, the above isn't actually the direction Far Cry 7 is taking, it would nevertheless still be excellent for Ubisoft to have a four-legged friend or two as possible companions again in the next outing, and there are some other ways it can iterate on this. Team Ninja's 2024 title, Rise of the Ronin, had a unique animal-taming mechanic, something that could inspire Far Cry 7 to go further by letting players adopt wild dogs that may be present in the next game as companions, possibly with various stats and skills that impart bonuses for different playstyles. Wherever the next installment takes fans, though, it would be great to have some canine companions return and get the love they deserve along with any other bigger changes that players might see.
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 77 /100 Critics Rec: 74%
